| 1. | having vertebrae; having a backbone or spinal column. |
| 2. | belonging or pertaining to the Vertebrata (or Craniata), a subphylum of chordate animals, comprising those having a brain enclosed in a skull or cranium and a segmented spinal column; a major taxonomic group that includes mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes. |
| 3. | a vertebrate animal. |
vertebrate ver·te·brate (vûr'tə-brĭt, -brāt')
adj.
Having a spinal column.
Of or characteristic a vertebrate.